A Finding Aid to the Dixie Selden papers, 1837-1936, 1993-2001, in the Archives of American Art Hilary Price 2015 November 4 Archives of American Art 750 9th Street, NW Victor Building, Suite 2200 Washington, D.C. 20001 https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions https://www.aaa.si.edu/ Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Arrangement..................................................................................................................... 2 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 2 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 2 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 3 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 4 Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1890s-1930s................................................. 4 Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1998, 1837-1935.................................................. 5 Series 3: Writings, circa 1890s-1930s..................................................................... 6 Series 4: Diaries, 1878-circa 1934........................................................................... 7 Series 5: Printed Material, 1993-2001, circa 1850-1936.......................................... 8 Series 6: Scrapbook, circa 1889............................................................................ 10 Series 7: Photographs, circa 1860s-1935, 1995.................................................... 11 Series 8: Artwork, circa 1900s-1920s.................................................................... 12 Series 9: Sketchbooks, circa 1900s-1931.............................................................. 13 Series 10: Artifacts, circa 1890s-1930s................................................................. 14 Dixie Selden papers AAA.selddixi Collection Overview Repository: Archives of American Art Title: Dixie Selden papers Identifier: AAA.selddixi Date: 1837-1936 1993-2001 Creator: Selden, Dixie, 1868-1935 Extent: 4.3 Linear feet Language: Collection is in English Summary: The papers of artist Dixie Selden measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1837-1936 and 1993-2001. The collection documents the life, world travels, and professional career of the Impressionist painter from Cincinnati, Ohio, through biographical material, correspondence, writings, diaries, printed material, a scrapbook, photographs, artwork, sketchbooks, and artifacts. Administrative Information Acquisition Information The Dixie Selden papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Marcia Goldman Widenor in 2014. Marcia Widenor's grandfather was married to Minnie Schaffer Goldman, Dixie Selden's first cousin. Processing Information The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2015. Preferred Citation Dixie Selden papers, 1837-1936, 1993-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Restrictions Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Terms of Use The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information. Page 1 of 14 Dixie Selden papers AAA.selddixi Biographical / Historical Dixie Selden (1868-1935) was an American Impressionist painter working in Kentucky and Ohio. Born to wealthy parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, Selden moved with her family to Covington, Kentucky when she was two years old. Her parents, John Roger Selden and Martha Peyton McMillon Selden were active in Cincinnati and Covington social circles and societies. Dixie's parents nurtured her artistic abilities early on, building her a studio, and taking her on two tours of Europe. Selden studied art at the Art Academy of Cincinnati off and on from 1884, when it was called the McMicken School of Design, until 1912. While there she was a student of Fernand H. Lungren and Frank Duveneck. In 1913, Selden traveled to Venice to study painting with William Merritt Chase. She exhibited regularly in the Midwest, and created a professional career as a portrait and landscape painter. Selden traveled extensively throughout her life, frequently with her close friend and fellow artist Emma Mendenhall. Her travels to Europe, Mexico, China, Japan, the Middle East, as well as sights across the United States served as inspiration for her art, as she took many photographs, collected postcards, and created sketches and paintings. Scope and Contents The papers of artist Dixie Selden measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1837-1936 and 1993-2001. The collection documents the life, world travels, and professional career of the Impressionist painter from Cincinnati, Ohio, through biographical material, correspondence, writings, diaries, printed material, a scrapbook, photographs, artwork, sketchbooks, and artifacts. Correspondence makes up a significant part of the collection and includes frequent letters sent to her parents while traveling abroad. Selden's travels are also documented in seven diaries, with daily descriptions of events and sights, and nine sketchbooks containing pencil and pastel sketches. Printed material makes up another large part of the collection and primarily includes items that document Selden's career and exhibitions, in addition to her frequent travels. Extensive photographs also document her travel, as well as her artwork, friends and family, and portraits of Selden. Artwork includes pencil sketches and prints by Selden and others. The remainder of the collection includes biographical material, writings, a scrapbook, and artifacts. Arrangement The collection is arranged as 10 series Missing Title: • Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1890s-1930s (0.1 linear foot; Box 1) • Series 2: Correspondence, 1837-1935, 1998 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1) • Series 3: Writings, circa 1890s-1930s (0.1 linear foot; Box 1) • Series 4: Diaries, 1878-circa 1934 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1) • Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1850-1926, 1993-2001 (1.7 linear feet; Box 2, 4, OV 5, OV 7) • Series 6: Scrapbook, circa 1889 (0.1 linear foot; Box 2) • Series 7: Photographs, circa 1860s-1935, 1995 (0.6 linear feet; Box 2-3) • Series 8: Artwork, circa 1900s-1920s (0.3 linear feet; Box 3, OV 6) • Series 9: Sketchbooks, circa 1900s-1931 (0.3 linear feet; Box 3) • Series 10: Artifacts, circa 1890s-1930s (0.3 linear feet; Box 3) Page 2 of 14 Dixie Selden papers AAA.selddixi Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Subjects: Impressionism (Art) Women artists Women painters Types of Materials: Diaries Photographs Scrapbooks Sketchbooks Occupations: Painters -- Ohio -- Cincinnati Page 3 of 14 Series 1: Biographical Material Dixie Selden papers AAA.selddixi Container Listing Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1890s-1930s 0.1 Linear feet (Box 1) Scope and Biographical material dates from circa 1890s-1930s and includes an address book, a Contents: resume, and scattered legal documents. Box 1, Folder 1 Address Book, circa 1890s-1930s Box 1, Folder 2 Biographical Material, circa 1921-1935 Return to Table of Contents Page 4 of 14 Series 2: Correspondence Dixie Selden papers AAA.selddixi Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1998, 1837-1935 0.6 Linear feet (Box 1) Scope and Correspondence dates from 1837-1935 and circa 1998, and includes frequent Contents: correspondence between Selden and her parents, particularly while traveling abroad. Letters provide detailed descriptions of foreign sites, museums, hotels, and sea crossings. Postcards sent and received by Selden accounts for one file. Also included are letters from Emma Mendenhall, and letters to and from the Goldman family, to which Selden was related by the marriage of her first cousin, Minnie Schaffner. Letters to and from Selden's parents, John and Martha are also included. Martha Selden's letters are primarily addressed to her mother. John Selden's letters are primarily from an unidentified friend in Brussels or relate to business. One file contains letters to the donor and relative, Marcia Widenor, about Dixie Selden. Box 1, Folder 3 Goldman Family, circa 1920s Box 1, Folder 4 Emma Mendenhall, 1909-1925 Box 1, Folder 5 Dixie Selden, 1897-1935 Box 1, Folder 6 Dixie Selden Postcards, 1899-1924 Box 1, Folder 7 John Selden, 1837-1904 Box 1, Folder 8 John Selden, Business Correspondence, 1886-1929 Box 1, Folder 9 Martha Selden, 1878-1904 Box 1, Folder 10-20 Selden Family Correspondence, 1890-1904 Box 1, Folder 21 Marcia Widenor, circa 1998 Return to Table of Contents Page 5 of 14 Series 3: Writings Dixie Selden